Kathmandu's scrap dealers see business boom in protest aftermath

As Nepal picks up its pieces following the violent protests that left many of the country's iconic buildings as well as hundreds of govt offices and homes badly damaged, an unusual economy is stirring amidst the rubble. Scrap dealers in Kathmandu are bracing for a windfall, as heaps of building material, metal and junk is cleared from vandalised govt complexes, burnt-down car showrooms, and ransacked supermarkets.

"The junk largely comprises charred cars, damaged furniture and other metal scrap from torched public buildings," an official of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City administration said. "It will eventually be auctioned to scrap dealers through tenders once cleanup is complete," he added.

Among the areas that were ravaged in the Sept 8-9 'Gen Z' protests that led to downfall of the KP Sharma Oli government were the historic Singha Durbar, the Supreme Court, office of the attorney general, and the parliament building in Kathmandu. Besides, scores of govt offices in around 250 municipalities were damaged due to vandalism and arson, a spokesperson at the ministry of federal affairs and general administration was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. Biratnagar’s four-storey municipal building was reduced to rubble, while two ward offices were burned. Birgunj saw three of its seven buildings rendered unusable, and 95 per cent of municipal properties destroyed, the newspaper reported.

“What happened to the properties was very unfortunate. They should not have been damaged. But then somebody has to now take care of disposal of the mess. Scrap dealers will do that,” said Paban Tamling, a local scrap merchant. He added that business could triple or even quadruple.

“Before the protest, the annual business of scrap dealing in Kathmandu was around 2 crore Nepalese rupees. But now, after the vandalism and arson, it would easily cross over 5 crore,” Tamling added.

Deepak Jaiswal, who runs the recycling firm 'Thalo Kawadi', echoed the sentiment. “We are waiting for officials to finish assessing the damage and then float tenders. The number of bidders this time will surely increase, as many will try to jump into the business. It sounds odd after such tragic events, but it’s the harsh truth—someone’s loss is another’s business.”